Abi Balingit's Strawberry Shortcake Sapin-Sapin

Sapin-sapin is a tri-layered rice cake that traditionally features tropical flavors, but I believe that it’s a vehicle for a whole host of variations. Any time there is a family holiday party or special occasion, I look forward to getting my tithe of sapin-sapin from the dessert table. Each chewy layer is so vibrant—typically colored purple, white, or orange to correspond with the flavors of ube, macapuno, or jackfruit.

For my take on sapin-sapin, I was inspired by my childhood favorite Good Humor strawberry shortcake bars. I used to gaze longingly out the window whenever the ice cream truck circled my block and played “Frosty the Snowman” in the middle of July. Here, there’s a red layer for strawberry, white for vanilla, and brown for molasses. The latik (toasted coconut curds) on top are crunchy, nutty, and slightly salty, and the addition of freeze-dried strawberry helps to mimic the cake crumbs on the original strawberry shortcake bars with a touch more tropical flavor from the coconut. Instead of latik, you can use crushed shortbread for a similar textural component.

Makes 18 mini sapin-sapin

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, for brushing

1½ cups glutinous rice flour

½ cup rice flour

1 cup sugar

1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk

¼ cup organic strawberry preserves

2 to 3 drops red gel food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons robust molasses

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ounce freeze-dried strawberries

3 tablespoons Latik (Toasted Coconut Curds, below)

Directions

1    Prepare a steamer by filling a large pot with 2 inches of water and fitting the pot with a steel steaming rack. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a pastry brush, grease 18 aluminum egg tart molds with the coconut oil. Set aside.

2    Whisk the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk together in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth. Divide the mixture evenly among three small bowls.

3    In the first bowl, mix in the strawberry preserves and red gel food coloring. In the second bowl, mix in the vanilla. In the third bowl, mix in the molasses and cinnamon. Set aside.

 4     Pour 1 tablespoon of the strawberry mixture into each prepared mold. Place the molds on the steaming rack and cover the pot with a lid. Depending on the size of your steamer, you may have to steam the sapin-sapin in multiple batches and add more water as you go. Steam for about 5 minutes, or until the layer is set and no longer liquid.

5     Remove the lid, pour 1 tablespoon of the vanilla mixture over each of the strawberry layers, and cover with the lid again. Steam for another 5 minutes.

 6    Remove the lid, pour 1 tablespoon of the molasses mixture over each of the vanilla layers, and cover with the lid again. Steam for 5 minutes, or until the last layer is set and firm to the touch. Using tongs, remove the molds from the steamer and let them cool completely at room temperature.

 7    In the bowl of a food processor, blitz the freeze-dried strawberries until they turn into a powder. Set aside.

 8    Use a small rubber spatula to gently loosen the sapin-sapin from their molds. Invert upside down on a plate with the strawberry layer facing up. To serve, top each sapin-sapin with ½ teaspoon of the latik and ¼ teaspoon of the freeze-dried strawberry powder. If not serving immediately, store the sapin-sapin in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Latik (Toasted Coconut Curds)

Makes 1 Cup

There’s a plethora of kakanin (rice cakes) that are sprinkled with toasted coconut curds called latik. Making latik is a labor of love, but well worth it. Although this recipe only uses one ingredient, it takes some patience to wait for the coconut cream to boil and later separate. Essentially, the curds fry in their own oil and you’re left with slightly salty, crumbly coconut bits that you can use as a topping. If you don’t have coconut cream, you can alternatively use coconut milk. Just note that the yield will be much less than the original recipe since coconut cream has more solids.

 1 (33.8) Carton coconut cream

1  Pour the coconut cream into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent the cream from boiling over. Continue to cook as the oil and solids start to separate, stirring frequently to make sure nothing is burning at the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until the curds are a golden-brown color, 65 to 75 minutes.

2  Once they’re done cooking, turn off the heat and strain the coconut oil from the saucepan using a large sieve. You can save the oil at room temperature in a glass jar with a lid for up to 2 days; you will be left with latik in the strainer.

3   Store the latik in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week if not immediately using it.

From Mayumu by Abi Balingit. Copyright © 2023 by Abigail Balingit. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Order from Now Serving bookstore here.